Sheet feeding and double sheet ejecting mechanism



N. GEERTSEN July 12, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 27, 1953 i w w N WIN .LIH]. [l N R ildlln- R 1 R 2 4 \\1 w g In m Q 5 WW Ea \T p Q IHI. L 3 R N. GEERTSEN July 12, 1955 SHEET FEEDING AND DOUBLE SHEET EJECTING MECHANISM Filed on. 27, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

NELSON GEERTSEN M 215W ATTORNEYS NQE N. GEERTSEN July 12, 1955 SHEET FEEDING AND DOUBLE SHEET EJECTING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 27, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG.4

INVENTOR.

NELSON GEERTSEN BY M naw W Wm ATTORNEYS July 12, 1955 N. GEERTSEN SHEET FEEDING AND DOUBLE SHEET EJECTING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 27, 1953 if no.5

5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

NELSON GEERTSEN ATTORNEYS N. GEERTSEN July 12, 1955 SHEET FEEDING AND DOUBLE SHEET EJECTING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed 001.. 27, 1953 INVENTOR.

NELSON GEERTSEN flnfi .%("&=

MM ATTORNEYS United States SHEET FEEBING AND BQUBLE SHEET EJECTKNG hmCHANISh I Nelson Geertsen, Oak Park, Ill, assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New .iersey Application October 27, 1953, Serial No. 388,509

18 Ciairns. (Ci. 2 39-31) The present invention relates to sheet feeding mechanism and has particular reference to improved devices for detecting and segregating abnormal double sheets without disturbing normal single sheets.

In the feeding of sheets for subsequent operations, especially when the sheets are advanced in spaced and timed relation in professional order along a path of travel, considerable difficulty has been experienced in maintaining in accurate adjustment devices for detecting and ejecting abnormal sheets or double sheets, due to opening and closing movements of parts of the devices and constant wear and tear on the parts. Bent sheets passing through such a device usually causes diificulty.

An object of the instant invention is the provision in a sheet feeding mechanism of double sheet detecting and ejecting devices wherein simple rotary elements are utilized to by-pass normal single thickness sheets, but to frictionally engage on opposite faces of double thickness sheets to feed the double sheets into the grip of rapidly rotating ejecting elements which quickly segregate the engaged sheets so as to effect the ejecting operation as quickly and as smoothly as possible without disturbing normal single sheets, the parts of the devices being reduced to a minimum and subjected to a minimum of wear.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the followmg description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view of a feeding mechanism embodying the instant invention parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken substantially along the line 2 2 in Fig. l, with parts broken away;

Figs. 3, 4 and are enlarged transverse sections taken substantially along the lines 3-3, 44, 5-5 in Fig. 1, with parts broken away;

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are schematic views of the detecting rollers and the ejecting rollers shown in Fig. 5,. the different views showing the rollers in different positions as an incident to detecting and ejecting double sheets; and

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section taken substantially along the line 99 in Fig. 4, parts being broken away.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the instant invention the drawings illustrate the principal parts of a feeding mechanism for advancing flat sheets or blanks A into and through a can making machine for converting the sheets or blanks into can or container parts. In such a feeding mechanism the sheets A preferably are fed in a substantially continuous procession in spaced and timed relation and in an intermittent or step-by-step manner along a predetermined, preferably straight line path of travel which includes a double sheet detecting station E.

During its advancement along its path of travel, a sheet A is brought to rest at the detecting station B and is tested for doubles, such as two sheets stuck together i atenteci .raziy l2, 1%55 and being advanced as one sheet. if the sheet is a single, nothing happens at the station B and the advancement of the sheet is continued. if the sheet is a double it is rapidly ejected laterally from the path of travel of the single sheets, to any suitable place of deposit.

The sheets A are advanced along their path of travel through the mechanism by a pair of spaced and parallel horizontally disposed reciprocable feed bars 11 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) which slide in longitudinal grooves 12 formed in a table 14 of a frame 15 which constitutes the main frame of the mechanism. The feed bars 11 carry a plurality of spaced depressible feed dogs 16 which engage behind and advance the sheets.

The sheets A are supported in a horizontal position on top of the table 14 and are guided along their path of travel during advancement by a pair of spaced and parallel guide rails 18 set into the table 14. These guide rails extend substantially the entire length of the mechanism.

The feed bars 11 are reciprocated in unison through a forward or feeding stroke (toward the left in Figs. 1 and 2) and thence through a return stroke (toward the right) by an upright actuating lever 21 mounted at its lower end on a pivot pin 22 carried in a pair of spaced bearings 23 formed on the main frame 15. The upper end of the lever is connected by a link 24 to a crosshead 25 which is secured to the feed bars 11 and which ties them together. The cross-head 25 extends down through and operates in an opening 26 in the table 14.

The actuating lever 21 is rocked in time with the other moving parts of the machine by an eccentric arm 28, one end of which is connected to the lever intermediate its ends. The opposite end or" the eccentric arm 28 is formed with an eccentric strap 29 which surrounds an eccentric 31 mounted on a cross-shaft 32 journailed in bearings 33 formed on the main frame 15. The shaft 32 constitutes the main driving shaft and may be rotated in any suitable manner.

On the forward strokes of the feed bars 11, the dogs 16 progressively advance the sheets A across the table 14 between the guide rails 18. On the return strokes of the feed bars the sheets are held against return movement by spaced depressible hold back fingers 35 which are located in a pair of stationary hold back bars 36 disposed adjacent and parallel with the feed bars. The hold back bars 36 are seated in longitudinal grooves 37 formed in the top of the table 14. During these return strokes of the feed bars 11, while the sheets are momentarily at rest, a resting sheet at the testing station B is tested for double thickness.

Detection of a double thickness sheet A preferably is effected by a pair of continuously rotating cooperating detecting elements or rollers 41, 42 (Figs. 1, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9) disposed in vertically spaced relation or alignment at the station B along and overlapping one edge (the right hand edge as seen in Fig. 5) of the path of travel of the sheets. These detecting rollers are located adjacent cooperating opposite faces of the traveling sheets so that a sheet or a double sheet rests between them, one roller being above and the other below the path of travel.

The lower detecting roller .2 is mounted on and rotates with a short shaft 43 which is disposed parallel to the path of travel of the sheets. Adjacent its ends, the shaft is journalled in bearings formed in a pair of spaced and parallel webs id, 45 which extend out from the edge of the table 14- at right angles to the path of travel of the sheets and which are disposed below the sheet feed line as parts of a shelf 46 formed integral with the table (see Figs. 1 and 5).

The upper detecting roller 41 is mounted on and rotates with a short shaft 48 which is disposed parallel shaft 52 the ends of which are carried in a pairof spaced bearings 53 formed on the webs 44, 45 of the shelf 46. The inner end of the housing 51 is supported on a pair of adjusting screws 55 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) which are threadedly carried in lugs 56 whichextend from opposite side edges of the housing. The screws 55 engage 7 against stationary support lugs 57 which are formed on a pair of upright brackets 58 secured to the shelf 46 and located adjacent opposite side edges of the housing. The adjusting screws 55 are yieldably held against the stationary lugs 57, to impart yieldability to the housing 51 (see Fig. 3). For this purpose a pair of compression springs 61 are held against the top of the housing adjacent opposite edges thereof by bolts 62 which extend through the springs and the housing and are 'threadedly anchored in the webs 44, 45 of the shelf 46.

The detecting rollers 41, 42 are rotated in unison and in time with the advancement of the sheets A by gear trains which permit passage of the sheets between the spaced rollers. For this purpose the roller shafts 43, 48 carry spur gears 64, 65 respectively (Fig. 4) WhlCh are spaced apart to pennit'the passage of sheets between them- The lower gear 64 meshes with an idler gear 66 mounted on a stud 67 secured into the web 44 of the shelf 46. 'The upper gear 65 meshes with an idler gear 68 mounted ona stud 69 secured in the side of the pivoted housing 51. The two idler gears 66, 68 mesh with each other and are driven by a gear 71.which meshes with the gear 66. This gear 711s mounted on a stud 72 secured in the web 44. The gear 71 meshes. with and is driven by a gear 73 mounted on a short shaft 74 journalled in a bearing 75 formed in the web 44.

The shaft 74 is continuously rotated by a sprocket 76 which is carried on the shaft and is driven by an endless chain 77 which operates over a driving sprocket 78 '(Fig. 2). The driving sprocket 78 is mounted on a short shaft 79 journalled in a bearing bracket 81 secured to the machine frame 15. The shaft 79 is rotated in time with the advancement of the sheets A by a bevel gear 82 (Fig. I mounted on the shaft and meshing with a bevel gear 83 carried on the eccentric shaft 32.

Detecting of a double thickness sheet A at the station B is effected by opposed narrow peripheral segments 85, '86 formed on the detecting rollers '41, 42. There area plurality of these segments arranged along each roller 'to distribute their effect along the width of the sheet.

These peripheral segments 85, 86 are of a predetermined arcuate length and are arranged on the detecting rollers to. rotate into opposed relation as soon as a sheet A comes to rest at the station B. When in opposed relation as shown in Fig. 7 their outer peripheries are spaced apart a distance just sufficient to clear a single thickness sheet tion B and is supported on lugs 91 projecting outwardly 'from the table.

The magnets 89 attract the sheet or sheets and hold her them fiat at the station E. Thus slightly bent sheets are held fiat as well as unbent sheets.

In operation, the rotating detecting rollers 41, 42 provide adequate clearance space between them when the sheets-A are moving into and out of the stationB and when the sheet is at rest at the station and held by the magnets 89, just sufiicient space between the peripheral segments 85, 86 is provided to clear a single thickness sheet. For such a. single thickness sheet the peripheral segments rotate past the sheet on opposite sides there of without disturbing the sheet, after which the sheet is advanced out of the station and into the subsequent operation machine for use.

When a double thickness sheet A is advanced into the station B, the peripheral segments 85, 86 upon rotating into opposed relation frictionally engage against opposite faces of the sheet as shown in Fig. 5 and thus squeeze the double sheet between them. This causes the housing 51 to yield and hinge upwardly on its pivot shaft 52 against the resistance of the compression springs 61 and thus subject the sheet to pressure between the peripheral segments 85, 86. The frictional engagement of the segments against opposite faces of the double sheet, feeds the sheets laterally out of their'regular path of travel at right angles thereto, through an opening'93 (Fig. 9) of a width slightly greater than the width of the sheet, in the adjacent sheet guide rail 18. This opening 93 is normally partially closed by a pair of spaced yieldable guide fingers 94 (Fig. 5) which guide single thickness sheets past the opening during normal operation as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

The guide fingers 94 curve up over the upper detecting roller shaft 48 and are hingedly mounted on pivot pins 96 which are carried in bearing lugs 97 formed on the housing 51. The fingers 94 are yieldably held in guiding position by tension springs 98 which are connected to pins 99 secured in the fingers and to pins 101 in the top of the housing 51. The springs 98 hold stop lugs 102 on the fingers, yieldably against a pair of adjustable stop screws 103 to retain the fingers in guiding position. The screws 103 are threadedly secured in a stationary bridge member 104 secured to the brackets 58.

When the opposed peripheral segments 85, 86 of the detecting rollers 41, 42 engage against opposite facesof a double sheet A and feed it laterally out of the station B, the edge of the sheet adjacent the guide fingers 94, presses against the fingers and swings them outwardly and upwardly to a position on top of the double sheet as shown in Fig. 5 to permit the sheet to pass through the opening 93 in the guide rail 18.

The peripheral segments 85, 86 on the detecting rollers 41, 42 are of just sufficient length to start the double sheet in motion and feed it into the grip of a pair of rapidly rotating ejecting rollers 108, 109 (Figs. 5 and 8) disposed immediately adjacent the detecting rollers 41, 42 and spaced apart a distance slightly less than the thickness of a double sheet. The ejecting rollers 108, 109 rapidly continue the lateral movement of the double sheet and eject it to any suitable place of deposit.

The ejecting rollers 108, 109 are disposed one above the other on opposite sides of the path of travel of the ejected sheet and are paralellto the detecting 'rollers The lower ejecting roller 108 is mounted on a driving ing rollers 41, 42. The driving shafts 111, 1120f the f ejecting rollers 108, 109 are rotated continuously in unison at higher speed than the shafts 43, 48 of the detecting rollers 41, 42 by a pair of meshing gears 116, 117 carried on the outer ends ofthe shafts. meshes with and is driven by an idler gear 118 which is mounted on a stud 119 secured in the web45 of the shelf 46. This gear meshes with and is driven by a pinion 121 carried on a rotor shaft 122 of an electric motor 123 mounted on the shelf 46.

Hence as soon as the edges of a double sheet A enter between the ejecting rollers 108, 109 as best shown in Fig. 8, the upper roller 109 is slightly raised .due to the normal space between the rollers being slightly less Gear 116 than the thickness of the double sheet, and this lifts the housing 51 slightly against the resistance of its compression springs 61 and cause; frictional pressure engagement of the ejecting rollers against opposite faces of the sheets to rapidly eject the sheets from the station E. This raising of the housing 51, slightly separates the segments 85, 86 of the detecting rollers 41, 42 and thus frees the sheet for discharge by the ejecting rollers 108, 109 as explained above. During this ejection of the sheet, the magnets 89 create a slight drag on the sheet and hold it flat so that it doesnt Whip as it rapidly moves out of the station. This completes the cycle of detecting and ejecting a double sheet from its regular path of travel so that such sheets may be segregated and prevented from advancing into the subsequent operation machine.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

1 claim:

1. In a mechanism for feeding sheets and for segregating abnormal sheets, the combination of a support for a sheet, a pair of continuously rotating ejecting rollers dis posed adjacent said support in line with and in remotely spaced relation to an edge of a sheet on said support for the passage of an abnormal sheet therebetween, and a pair of continuously rotating detecting rollers disposed adjacent said support in line with said ejecting rollers and arranged adjacent opposite faces of a sheet on said support, said detecting rollers having opposed projecting peripheral segments spaced apart a distance sufiicient to clear a normal thickness sheet on said support without disturbin the sheet, said distance being less than the thickness of an abnormal sheet so that said peripheral segments frictionally engage an abnormal sheet between them and feed said abnormal sheet into the grip of said ejecting rollers for ejection from said support.

2. In a mechanism of the character defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of said detecting rollers is yieldably mounted for pressure engagement of its projecting peripheral segment against an abnormal sheet.

3. In a mechanism of the character defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of said ejecting rollers is yieldably mounted for pressure engagement against an abnormal thickness sheet.

4. in a mechanism for feeding sheets and for segregating double thickness sheets, the combination of a support for a sheet, a stationary frame disposed adjacent said support, a movable housing disposed adjacent said stationary frame in spaced relation thereto for the passage of a double thickness sheet therebetween, means for yieldably urging said movable housing toward said stationary frame, a pair of cooperating ejecting rollers disposed one in said stationary frame and one in said movable housing for gripping and feeding therehetw-een a double thickness sheet, means for rotating in unison said ejecting rollers continuously, a pair of detecting rollers located between said support and said ejecting rollers and disposed one in said stationary frame and one in said movable housing, said detecting rollers having cooperating opposed projecting peripheral segments spaced apart a distance sufiicient to clear a single thickness sheet on said support without disturbing the sheet, sa d distance being less than a double thickness sheet, means for rotating said detecting rollers in unison so that said peri heral segments frictionally engage a double thickness sheet between them under pressure of said movable housing and feed said double thickness sheet into the grip of said ejecting rollers for ejection from said support, and stop means operable against said movable housing for setting and maintaining said preded termined distance between said peripheral segments of said detecting rollers.

5. In a mechanism of the character defined in claim 4 wherein said ejecting rollers are rotated faster than said detecting rollers and wherein said movable housing is pivotally mounted outwardly beyond said ejecting rollers to swing the rollers carried therein away from and toward the rollers carried in said stationary frame so that said peripheral segments of said detecting rollers are spread apart clear of a double thickness sheet when said sheet is gripped by said ejecting rollers to protect said segments against dragging against the sheet being ejected.

6. In a mechanism for feeding sheets and for segregating double thickness sheets, the combination of a hori- Zontal support for a sheet, feeding devices for advancing sheets in spaced and timed processional order along said support and past a detecting station, a pair of detecting rollers located at said detecting station along the path of travel of said sheets and disposed above and below the path of travel of said sheets, said detecting rollers having cooperating opposed peripheral segments spaced apart a distance sufiicient to clear a single thickness sheet at rest at said station without disturbing the sheet, said distance being less than a double thickness sheet, means for rotating said detecting rollers in time with the advancement of said sheets into said station so that said peripheral segments frictionally engage a double thickness sheet between them and partially feed said double thickness sheet laterally of said path of travel, and a pair of continuously rotating cooperating ejecting rollers disposed adjacent and in line with said detecting rollers for gripping between them the double thickness sheet partially fed by said detecting rollers to eject said double thickness sheet from said support.

7. In a mechanism for feeding sheets and for segregating double thickness sheets, the combination of a horizontal support for a sheet, feeding devices for advancing sheets in spaced and timed processional order along said support and into a detecting station, a guide rail disposed adjacent said support for guiding said sheets into said station, said guide rail having an opening therein at said station for the lateral ejection of a double thickness sheet fed into said station, a yieldable guide finger disposed in said opening to guide single thickness sheets through said station, a pair of detecting rollers located at said detecting station along the path of travel of said sheets and disposed above and below the path of travel of said sheets, said detecting rollers having cooperating opposed peripheral segments spaced apart a distance sufiicient to clear a single thickness sheet at rest at said station Without disturbing the sheet, said distance being less than a double thickness sheet, means for rotating said detecting rollers in time with the advancement of said sheets into said station so that said peripheral segments frictionally engage a double thickness sheet between them and partially feed said double thickness sheet laterally of said path of travel through said opening in said guide rail and past said yieldable guide finger, and a pair of continuously rotating cooperating ejecting rollers disposed adjacent and in line with said detecting rollers for gripping between them the double thickness sheet partially fed by said detecting rollers to eject said double thick ness sheet from said support.

8. In a mechanism of the character defined in claim 7 wherein said guide finger is pivotally mounted and is formed with a free end normally disposed in said opening in said guide rail and is maintained under spring pressure so that the leading edge of a double thickness sheet being ejected through said opening readily pivots said finger out of the way.

9. In a mechanism for feeding sheets and for segregating double thickness sheets, the combination of a support for a sheet, a pair of continuously rotating ejecting rollers disposed adjacent said support in line with and in remotely spaced relation to an edge of a sheet on said support for the passage of a double sheet therebetween, and a pair of continuously rotating detecting rollers disposed sheet 50' that said peripheral segments frictionallyengage a double thickness sheetrbetween them and feed said.

double thickness sheet into the'grip of said ejecting rollers for ejection from said support.

10. In a mechanism for feeding sheets and for segregating double thickness sheets, the combination of a horizontal support for a sheet, feeding devices for advancing sheets in spaced and timed proces'sional order along said su port and into a detecting station, a guide rail disposed a acent said support for guiding said sheets'into said station, said guide rail having an opening therein at said station for the lateral ejection of a double thickness sheet fed into said station, magnetic means disposed adjacent said guide rail opening for magnetically holding said sheet in position, a pair of detecting rollers located at said 8 detecting station along the path of travel of said sheets and disposed above and below the path of travel of'said sheets, said detecting rollers having cooperating opposed peripheral segments spaced apart a distance sufficien't 'to clear a single thickness sheet at rest at said station without disturbing the sheet, said distance being less than a double thickness sheet, means for rotating saiddetecting rollers in time with the advancement of said sheets into said sta tion so that said peripheral segments frictionally engage a double thickness sheet between them and partially feed said double thickness sheet laterally of said path of travel through s aid opening in saidguide rail and against the attraction or" said magnetic means, and a pair of continu-.

ously rotating cooperating ejecting rollers disposed adjacent and in line with said detecting rollers for gripping between them the double thickness sheet partially fed by said detecting rollers to eject said double thickness sheet from said support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Winters Mar. 7, 1950 Pechy Mar. 6, 1951 

